Avionics News - September 2023 - 4

AEA NOW
L
PO INT O F CO MMUNICATIO N
FROM LIGHT-SPORT
TO OUTER SPACE
ongtime readers of Avionics News know this
magazine primarily covers the general aviation
industry and the companies that manufacture,
install and maintain avionics equipment. However, we
occasionally stumble across industry overlap where
a small number of AEA members do business with
commercial airlines, military aircraft, and surprisingly,
even ships headed to outer space.
One such example is highlighted in this
month's cover story beginning on page
48 by author David Hughes, " L3Harris'
Avionics Moon Shot. " As the story notes,
L3Harris is well known for producing
aircraft electronics equipment for
general aviation aircraft such as collision
avoidance, lighting detection, standby
systems, voice and data recorders, and
advanced ADS-B technologies. But did
you know the company also makes spacequalified
avionics that will help take
American astronauts back to the moon, possibly as early
as 2025? It's an incredible story worth reading, and
industry professionals in all segments of aviation will
appreciate the fact that L3Harris, an AEA member since
1969 (the same year man first landed on the moon), has
been providing products to the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration since the early days of the space
program.
Now let's bring our focus back down to earth. There
of Special Airworthiness Certification), the FAA proposes
to amend rules related to the certification and operation of
light-sport category aircraft.
Soon after the NPRM was published in the Federal
Register, Ric Peri provided a regulatory update to AEA
members urging them to read the fine print. As the
association's vice president of government and industry
affairs, Peri expertly noted the proposal is wide-ranging,
affecting everybody from airports to airmen.
In other words, it is a complicated proposal
worthy of thorough review. Be sure to read
Peri's initial summary of the NPRM on page
16 and look for an additional section-bysection
review of the proposal from Peri in
next month's issue of Avionics News.
Additionally, MOSAIC will be addressed
GEOFF HILL
at the AEA Regionals in the United States
later this month, as comments are due no
later than Oct. 23, 2023. Join us in Daytona
Beach (Sept. 14-15) or Oklahoma City (Sept.
28-29) for a complete regulatory roundup of current
issues affecting your business. The AEA Regionals are
where aviation's technology experts gather for technical
training from leading manufacturers and meet with their
product and support representatives. Register, reserve
your hotel room, and see the complete schedule for each
Regional at aea.net/regionals.
Whether its news to report from light-sport aircraft all
has been much attention in recent weeks on the Federal
Aviation Administration's proposal to expand opportunities
for light-sport aircraft. According to the notice of proposed
rulemaking published July 24 on MOSAIC (Modernization
4 avionics news * september 2023
the way up to outer space, the AEA and Avionics News
has you covered. Thanks for reading. q
GEOFF HILL
Editor, Avionics News
http://www.aea.net/regionals
Avionics News - September 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News - September 2023
